In the 966th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by WPT Global, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas, where they are once again joined by Jeff Platt. There are a lot of questions surrounding the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP), including rule changes, patches, dealer ratings, and whether or not Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll will be allowed back. Jeff answers them all, as well as a look into some new things, such as a new merch store, the WSOP Countdown Show, and members of the WSOP family.
Jeff also talks about being on a team drafting for the $25K Fantasy, which took place later that evening. Chad headed over to speak with Daniel Negreanu and David “ODB” Baker while offering a look at the draft itself.
The crew then remembers online poker legislative champion, Congressman Barney Frank, who recently passed away, and then offers you a chance to win a seat to this weekend’s 100th Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) event!
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Find out all about those stories and more in this week’s episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Time Stamps
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Welcome to the show |
| 00:20 | Jeff Platt joins the show |
| 01:08 | Patches at WSOP |
| 09:15 | Dealer Ratings |
| 14:33 | WSOP Family |
| 20:40 | New Merch Store |
| 24:20 | Parking issues |
| 25:20 | $25K Family |
| 26:20 | Video highlights from $25K Fantasy |
| 29:32 | PokerNews MyPlayers |
| 29:49 | Jesse Yaginuma & James Carroll |
| 33:00 | CSOP Giveaway |
| 33:50 | Remembering Barney Frank |
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Chad Holloway
PR & Media Manager